Aerosol dispenser



y 19, 1966 J. E. GREENEBAUM 11 3,261,557

AEROSOL DISPENSER Filed Dec. 11, 1965 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,261,557 AEROSOL DISPENSER James E. Greenbaum II, Highland Park, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Seaquist Valve Company, a Division of Pittsburgh Railways Company, Cary, Ill., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 329,749 2 Claims. (Cl. 239-579) This invention relates to dispensers of the type generally designated as aerosol dispensers wherein a sealed container is provided with normally closed manually opening valve means for releasing from the container a dispensable fluid under superatmospheric pressure within the container.

Many prior art aerosol dispensers are known wherein the dispensed fluid is a liquid having a high solubility for a propellant gas whereby as the dispensed liquid enters the atmosphere the propellant gas expanding rapidly atomizes the dispensed liquid in a fine spray or foam.

According to the present invention, it has been discovered, particularly with respect to water based products, that foam tends to build up around the edge of the discharge orifice into tiny droplets which are ultimately discharged as inelfective or undesirable particles of the product which is dispensed in a spray.

A primary object of the present invention is to devise an aerosol dispenser wherein the dispensing port is formed in a button and defines with a boss thereon a circular orifice adapted to be connected to the dispensed liquid within the container by manual depression of the button, said orifice being formed and arranged to prevent build-up of foamed liquid.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide the discharge port with an outwardly flaring, frustroconical portion which intersects the outer end of the boss at the juncture of said end with a cylindrical perimeter of the boss, thereby defining a circular knife-edge around the flared portion of the port at its extreme outer end.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary central sectional view through an aerosol dispenser embodying one form of the invention, with the button shown in closed position;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through the button bisecting its discharge port;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the button; and

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the button taken from the right as seen in FIGURE 1.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that a preferred embodiment of the novel button 2 is illustrated as applied to a hollow valve stem 4 of a conventional aerosol dispenser 6 comprising a steel container 8 having a spun connection as at 10 to a steel mounting cup 12.

The container 8 is adapted to contain a liquid to be dispensed as a spray such as insecticide or room deodorizer to be dispensed by spraying the liquid from the novel button 2, and the container also is adapted to 3,261,557 Patented July 19, 1966 ice contain a propellant gas under superatmospheric pressure, which gas boils at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. The gas may or may not be readily soluble in the liquid.

The gas may be, for example, a fluorinated hydroc'arbon such as dichlorodifluoromethane or a hydrocarbon such as isobutane, and is at a minimum pressure in the container of the order of 25 pounds per square inch absolute at F. Generally pounds per square inch absolute is considered to "be a safe maximum.

The novel button 2 is press-fitted as at 16 on the stem 4 which extends into a cylindrical stem passage formed within the button 14. The button also comprises an outlet passage 18 communicating with the interior of the stem 4.

The outlet passage 18 is connected to a discharge port 20 having an outwardly flared frustro-conical portion 22 extending through an external cylindrical boss 24 on the button within a cylindrical recess 26 in the outer surface of the button.

The port portion 22 intersects the outer end 28 of the boss 24 at the juncture of said end 28 with a cylindrical perimeter 30 of the boss to define a knife-edge 32 which is in the form of -a circle struck from the longitudinal axis XX of the port 20.

In operation of the novel device, the button 2 is depressed as by finger pressure on a top surface 34 of the button, whereupon a head 50 on the stem is urged downwardly within a chamber 52 of a valve body 54 until a port 56 of the stem 4 is released from a sealing gasket 58, whereupon the dispensed liquid is forced through the stem port 56 upwardly through the hollow stem and through the passage 18 into the discharge port 20 from which the dispensed liquid is sprayed by the pressure of the propellant gas in the container 8.

As the dispensed liquid travels outwardly, some of the spray follows the Wall defining the port 22 and its outwardly flared portion 22, thereby spreading or blooming the spray to a desirable extent.

It will be understood that as the dispensed liquid is urged from port portion 22, there is no tendency for foamed liquid to build up around the terminal orifice defined by the knife-edge 32, as in prior art buttons where such foamed liquid builds up to drops, each appropriately the size of a pin head or larger agglomeration, said drops eventually being discharged as ineffective or undesirable particles in the spray.

The invention is also applicable to other dispensed products such as fine powder which tend to build up around the terminal orifice of the dispensing port.

What is claimed is:

1. In a button for an aerosol dispenser containing a product to be dispensed and a propellant gas under superatmospheric pressure to force said product from said dispenser upon actuation of said button, the combination of a passage in the button adapted for connection to said dispenser, and a discharge port through said button and connected to said passage, said port having a uniform diameter with an annular knife-edge surface defining its radially outer perimeter at the end thereof remote from said passage whereby build-up of drops of liquid at said knife edge is prevented.

2. In a button for an aerosol dispenser containing a product to be dispensed and a propellant gas under super- 3 4 atmospheric pressure to force said product from said References Cited by the Examiner dispenser when said button is actuated; the combination UNITED STATES PATENTS of a passage in the button adapted for COHIECUOH to said dispenser, a cylindrical boss projecting from an external 2,861,723 11/1958 Cooksley 222-394 surface thereof, a discharge port extending through said 5 3,003,755 10/1961 Peras 239*579 button and said boss and connected to said passage, said 3,054,210 9/ 1962 Kratzer et a1 239573 port having a uniform diameter and flaring radially out- 3,085,720 4/1963 Bosh at 239573 wardly and intersecting the cylindrical perimeter of said 3,169,677 2/1965 Focht 222-394 boss to define an annular knife-edge surface at the end thereof remote from said passage whereby buildup of 10 HENSON WOOD Primary Exammer' drops of liquid at said knife edge is prevented. R. S. STROBEL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A BUTTON FOR AN AEROSOL DISPENSER CONTAINING A PRODUCT TO BE DISPENSED AND A PROPELLANT GAS UNDER SUPER ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE TO FORCE SAID PRODUCT FROM SAID DISPENSER UPON ACTUATION OF SAID BUTTON, THE COMBINATION OF A PASSAGE IN THE BUTTON ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO SAID DISPENSER, AND A DISCHARGE PORT THROUGH SAID BUTTON AND CONNECTED TO SAID PASSAGE, SAID PORT HAVING A UNIFORM DIAMETER WITH AN ANNULAR KNIFE-EDGE SURFACE DEFINING ITS RADIALLY OUTER PERIMETER AT THE END THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID PASSAGE WHEREBY BUILD-UP OF DROPS OF LIQUID AT SAID KNIFE EDGE IS PREVENTED. 